This document provides tips for getting paperwork organized. It notes that Americans spend millions of hours looking for things and bills are often paid late due to losing paperwork. The document recommends going through papers to determine what to keep, toss, and shred. It provides specific guidelines for personal bills, tax documents, retirement information, coupons, and receipts, such as keeping insurance policies until renewal, shredding credit card statements after a year, and maintaining vehicle titles as long as the vehicle is owned. The document promotes scheduling an organizational consultation to help get papers in order.

1. GET YOUR PAPERWORK IN
ORDER
Marcia Bennett, M.Ed.
Founder: Live to Manage, LLC
www.livetomanage.com

2. FACTS ABOUT CLUTTER
 Americans spend 9 million hours looking for things
 23% of adults pay bills later because they lose them
 80% of what we file we never use again
 A four drawer file cabinet can hold 18,000 pages
 Getting rid of clutter in homes eliminate 40% of housework in an average
home
 80% of home clutter is a result of disorganization and not lack of space

3. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
 What papers to keep
 What papers to toss
 What papers to shred

4. TYPES OF PAPER
 Personal bills
 Personal statements
 Tax documents
 Retirement information
 Coupons
 Receipts

5. PAPER BILLS
Keep: insurance policies until they renew
Toss: credit card statements once payment is verified on the following
statement
Shred: utility bills after a year
Shred: credit card and bank statements to reduce the possibility of identity
theft

6. TAX DOCUMENTS
 Keep: receipts that support tax deductions for three to seven years
 Keep: receipts of credit card statements that prove charitable donations,
expenses. And other deductions for at least three years
 Shred: when the time has lapsed, shred.

7. RETIREMENT INFORMATION
 Keep: all statements proving contributions to a non-deductible Retirement
Account.

8. COUPONS
 Keep: coupon inserts for about three months
 Write the expiration date of the coupon on the front cover of the
coupon insert
 Once expired, you can toss them.

9. RECEIPTS
 Keep: for major purchases keep receipts to prove purchase
 Only keep ATM and debit card receipts until you reconcile your bank
statement
 Maintain the title for your vehicle for as long as you own it
 Keep receipts that show house improvements for as long as you own your
home plus six years.

10. WWW.LIVETOMANAGE.COM
Need help getting your papers organized?
Please schedule a complimentary
organizational consultation today by e-
mailing: mbennett@livetomanage.com